When a batsman gets out for a pair, he/she leaves depressed, dejected and demoralised.

When a batsman gets out for a silver pair, he/she leaves depressed, dejected...well, basically, suicidal.

They say "Runs maketh a man" (I think). That's balderdash I say! It ought to be "Ducks maketh a man." Ducks are part of the game. If you don't get a duck, you are'nt part of the game.

Let's all bow down to Chris Martin for a while. 25 ducks in 60-odd innings. Amazing! How does he do it?

But there are some, who fail to get any ducks. Lets see how they have fared in their careers.

Tests

James Anderson, English fast bowler. He has never got a duck in his whole career. Hey, hey but guess what? He is known as a fabulous...umm...tailender. Even his bowling has taken a hammering in recent months.

Another famous example of being duckless is Pakistani batsman, Yasir Hameed. No wonder he was dropped from the team two years back.

Farveez Maharoof. Oh so talented. No ducks in his career. Has'nt played a test since 2007.

Now lets take examples of those who have so many ducks under their belts, you can't wait to count the chicks.

Courtney Walsh. 43 ducks in 185 innings. So what? Picks up 519 wickets and dances his Caribbean jig into history books.

But Walsh was a bowler. I bet that would be your argument. No problem for me though. Lets look at some batsmen.

Marvan Attapatu. He had six ducks in his first seven innings! Ended his career with 22 ducks in 156 innings. But that does'nt stop him from being one heck of a classy batsman as well one of Sri Lanka's most admired captains.

Steve Waugh also had 22 ducks but in 78 more test matches than Attapatu. No matter. Scoring 32 hundreds is so easy, even Brian Lara could do it.

Brad Haddin has not had a duck in his whole ODI career! Yes, he is a talented batsman. Yeah, he is a great keeper and yes, he is living up to half of Gilchrist's reputation. But, is'nt Australia suddenly the fairytale gone wrong?

Jacque Rudolphe. What a start he had to his career. Scoring a double hundred on debut for South Africa against Bangladesh and continuing the form into the ODI's.

If only he could have got out on a duck. He was charged with being racist and was kicked out of the team. Thats what happens when you are vegetarian I guess.

Peter Kirsten is Guru Gary's elder brother. Never got a duck. Where did it land him? In the shadow of Gary Kirsten and kicked out of the South African cricket team.

Lets see players who will keep counting their ducks until they start applying hair color.

Sanath Jayasuriya has been duck 33 times. But his career spans more than 400 ODI's, so in proportion to that, that's a marvelous record. So is everything else for him.

Not everyone plays 432 ODI's and maintains a strike rate of over 90 AND scored more than 13,000 runs! He would have been glad the day he walked back on nought.

Inzamam Ul Haq. 20 ducks in 378 matches. SO? 11000 runs, 83 fifties, captain of Pakistan team with a flawless English vocabulary and accent. One of the most dangerous players the game ever produced and ever will produce.

Sachin Tendulkar also has 20 ducks but in 425 matches. He holds all records and still haunts Shane Warne in the night. He proves the fact that it pays to get off the mark.